LISA LEE PEARCE 

Bio: My artistic path has been shaped by meaningful places and experiences—from my time at Mesa Verde National Park to studying in a renovated monastery above Florence, and receiving recognition as a Colorado Scholar of the Arts.

After moving to Arizona in 1992, I became involved with the Mayo Clinic Scottsdale/Phoenix Art and Humanities Program, where I created large-scale installations serving as architectural way finders for the new Cancer Center and facilities building. This work led to commissions and ongoing installations at Phoenix Children’s Hospital and other healthcare facilities throughout Arizona and Colorado.

Since moving to Flagstaff in 2019, I have renewed my love of watercolor. Alongside my studio practice, I teach drawing, watercolor, and other creative visual arts classes at the Museum of Northern Arizona. I also offer private lessons in my Flagstaff studio.

Artist Statement: As a woman artist and painter of the West, the landscape is something I hold dear—it carries a deep sense of peace, connection, and resonance. My work begins with observation, then moves toward abstraction as a way of expressing an inner, emotional response to place, memory, and connection. At its core, my work is about a mental state of mind. Our minds move so fast, and for me, living with ADHD can feel like a daily battle with distraction, shifting thoughts, and constant movement. Mental health is not something we experience only occasionally—it is 365 days a year.

This awareness has become an important part of how I see and make art. Painting gives me a way to slow down, focus, and translate the complexity of an active mind into something visual and tangible. Rooted in experiences with family, friends, mentors, and the landscapes that have shaped me, my paintings are less about literal depiction and more about perception—how we experience a place both externally and within ourselves.